Kassie Hines
Katie L. Lewis Family Law
- Get your second-parent adoption done! Being named on a birth certificate or just being married does NOT automatically make you a parent.
- Revise your estate planning documents. For example, remove “spouse” in your will or power of attorney and just put the legal name of your husband/wife (in case same-sex marriage is overturned).
Karri Bertrand
KB Family Law, PLLC
- Consider executing a Declaration of Informal Marriage in the county where you reside. If you and your partner have considered yourselves married to one another for a long period of time but have never formally married, this is the smartest way to memorialize the marriage and to protect the assets you have accumulated together. You will be able to agree on your official date of marriage retroactively. This is not something you can do if you obtain a marriage license and participate in a formal marriage ceremony.
- Carefully review all of your legal documents to ensure they are accurate. Be sure you have your birth certificate, Social Security card, passport, and driver’s license updated and easily accessible, as well as all of the applicable documents for your children. Keep important paperwork, such as an adoption order, last will and testament, power of attorney, or marriage certificate, handy as well.
Michael Debnam
DebnamRust, P.C.
- Build relationships with attorneys who work in the LGBTQ space now so you can stay up to date as new executive orders are rolled out on a daily basis.
- For families with transgender children, know how to prepare for a potential investigation by a CPS agent, a governmental agency, or a school. It’s really important to have a pre-planned approach based on your relevant area or school which is why having an attorney relationship is so important. Lambda Legal has a list of affirming attorneys and firms for this area.
- Several law firms are doing continuing presentations online and in person about the best way to protect the LGBTQ community and themselves; attend one of these.
- Get estate planning done, because it allows you to choose who makes decisions for you regardless of relationship or relationship status; instead of the state deciding based on relationship status and family of origin.
- Remember to breathe. It will be a long four years of the president making bold claims, often which lack follow through. Just because the president or governor says something, or issues an executive order, it doesn’t mean that the order will take effect, and it doesn’t mean that the statement will have any teeth.
- We are all relying on Lambda Legal and the ACLU to protect and help us; find out what you can do to help them. Whether it’s getting involved, giving them money, or otherwise.
- Have the conversation about what exit plans look like for your family. We need to have a plan for the worst-case scenario.
Caleb Patterson
The Patterson Law Firm, PLLC
- One easy thing people can do is execute powers of attorney. These documents will ensure the right person is making medical and life decisions for them if they’re ever unable to do so themselves. You can get free versions online through TexasLawHelp.org.
Jayla Wilkerson
Law Office of Jayla Wilkerson PLLC
- For folks in need of name and gender corrections on identification documents, the bad news is you are not going to be able to make changes in terms of gender/sex marker at this point on state or federal documents. The good news is that name changes are still available generally. However, requesting a name change that is obviously gendered could potentially trigger your name being added to a list of transgender people. It may be best just to wait for a regime change at this point.
- For folks facing criminal charges, transgender women are at a far greater risk now than they previously were in terms of abuse during incarceration. It is important to speak with your attorney to ensure they recognize those risks and make efforts to keep you out of jail if possible. Access to gender-affirming medication while incarcerated is an additional concern.
- Regarding access to gender-affirming healthcare, there is little we can do to protect our access to healthcare at this time. There are some online sources for prescription medications which may be more reliable and stable than our traditional sources. There are also some herbal alternatives to hormone replacements available over the counter which may help ease discomfort at times when prescription medication may be unavailable, but these can be very expensive and far less effective. Talk to you doctor and pharmacy about changing your prescriptions to allow you to get more medication at a time, so that you might have enough to last for a while in case of changes in access.
- If you are in a same-sex or other non-traditional marriage or union, your rights may be affected in the near future. It is vital that you speak with a family law attorney and an estate planning attorney to ensure that your paperwork is in order to protect your family in the event our marriages, unions, and/or adoptions are no longer legally recognized and protected.
- Finally, if you have any financial resources or time to volunteer and want to support a meaningful cause, support organizations such as Lambda Legal, ACLU, HRC, Transgender Law Center and others who are fighting to protect LGBTQIA+ rights against the plethora of attacks we all are now facing.
Travis Gaspar
Gaspar Law, PLLC
- Ensure your medical and financial powers of attorney are up-to-date. Without these documents, decisions about your healthcare and finances could be left to biological family members rather than your chosen loved ones. A properly executed medical power of attorney and statutory durable power of attorney allow you to designate the person you trust to make decisions on your behalf if you become incapacitated.
- Create or review your will or trust. If you don’t have a will or trust, state law determines who inherits your assets, which may not align with your wishes. A well-drafted will or revocable living trust ensures your assets go to the people and causes you care about, while also simplifying the legal process for your loved ones.
Natalie L. Webb
Webb Family Law Firm, PC
- Wills and estate planning: Definitely get wills in place regardless of marital status, as well as medical and financial powers of attorneys.
- Children: If couples have children and both parents have not formally adopted the child, I would recommend going through this process regardless of marital status. Under Texas law, if the parents are married, this is not currently necessary, however if laws change, which seems to be happening swiftly and without notice, this would be an extra protection to make sure both parents have parental rights over any children.
Rob Wiley
Rob Wiley, PC
- If it’s serious enough to go to HR, it’s serious enough to talk to a lawyer. HR works for the company, not the employees. If you report discrimination, harassment or retaliation to HR, instead of addressing the homophobic behavior, they may see you as the problem for complaining. This is especially true when an employee is complaining about a supervisor or a company policy.
- You need to think about how and when to come out in the workplace. How much of your private life you share is up to you. But you need to have a plan and be ready for the question.
- Be prepared and be aware that intolerance exists in the workplace. You’ll be working with people from all sorts of backgrounds; that means there will be people who are intolerant of LGBTQ people in your workplace. You need to be proud of who you are, but you need to be aware that you may also face adversity because of who you are.
- Make friends with other LGBTQ coworkers and colleagues. One of the most fundamental tools for fairness in the workplace is collective action. Some companies are disbanding or diminishing their LGBTQ employee groups as part of anti-DEI culture. Use Facebook groups, social media, and DMs to keep in touch and build alliances. I founded the Dallas Gay and Lesbian Bar Association 25 years ago. I got so much savvy career advice as a young gay lawyer, as well as inside information on the biases of lawyers, law firms and judges. I highly recommend joining the North Texas LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce, a resource for LGBTQ employees that anyone can join.
- Get a mentor. An LGBTQ mentor is ideal, but you should take advantage of anyone who is willing to share their time and expertise with you. It is harder being an LBGTQ employee. Historically, minorities work twice as hard for half as much. You will benefit from their experience and perspective. There may be opportunities where they may help you to get noticed or advance in your own career. I owe a tremendous debt to trailblazing attorneys like Rebecca Covell, Emily Tobolowsky, and Chuck Marlett who made it easier for me by following their path.
- With the Trump administration, it’s more important to call an attorney than ever before. It is absolutely illegal for a company to discriminate against you because of sexual orientation or gender identity. That is the law. But with Trump, agencies like the EEOC are being gutted, and the remaining employees are being told to stop work on LGBTQ cases. Your rights haven’t gone away, but you will need an attorney to enforce them.
Finding a lawyer
Burch Law
Family & Estate Law
Lorie Burch
972-385-0558
Burch-Law.com
DebnamRust, P.C.
Family Law
Michael Debnam
Derek Mergele-Rust
214-775-0628
DebnamRust.com
Duggan & Associates, PLLC
Family & LGBTQ Law
Jamie Duggan
214-494-1647
dugganfamilylaw.com
Gasper Law PLLC
Estate Planning
Travis Gasper
469-663-7736
TravisGasper.com
Law Office of Holly B. Guelich
Bankruptcy Law
Holly Guelich
214-522-3669
Holly-Guelich.com
KB Family Law
Family Law
Karri Bertrand
214-851-8652
KBFamily.law
Klein Fertility Law
Fertility and Surrogacy Law
619-235-8913
KleinFertilityLaw.com
Katie Lewis Family Law
Family Law
Katie Lewis
214-461-5028
KatieLewisFamilyLaw.com
John P. McCall Jr.
Family Law & Divorce
214-851-1520
AttorneyMcCall.com
Law Office of Jodie McShan, PLLC
Family, Estate Law & Mediation
Jodi McShan
kleinfertilitylaw.com
JodiMcShanLaw.com
Olinger Law
Immigration Law
Lynn Olinger
817-798-6006
LSOLaw.com
The Patterson Law Firm, PLLC
Estate Planning, Employment Contracts
and Business Start-up Law
P. Caleb Anderson
469-751-8565
ThePattersonLawFirm.com
Adam L. Seidel, P.C.
Family & Criminal Law
Adam Seidel
214-528-3344
AdamSeidel.com
Van Wey, Metzler, Williams
Civil Medical Malpractice Law
Kay Van Wey
214-329-1350
VanWeyLaw.com
Webb Family Law
Family Law & Divorce
Natalie Webb
214-871-2730
WebFamilyLaw.com
Rob Wiley, P.C.
Employment Law
Rob Wiley
214-528-6500
robwiley.com
Law Office of Jayla Wilkerson, PLLC
Environmental, Criminal,
Family & LGBT+ Law
817-717-1210
TxEnvironmentalLaw.com